I did a trial week of intermittent fasting and here are my thoughts…
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Happiness Is a Choice
My Transformation
I have been on a plateau…for a long time. No, I am not fat or overweight and I like my body the way it is; however, I have been striving for something that I have not been able to reach. Last night, I had an epiphany moment.
Let’s break this down. I am currently 145 lbs. I have been between 143-147 lbs for about a year. My body fat percentage has been consistent, sitting between 23-26%. For my 5’3″ height, this is a reasonable weight and body fat percentage. My goal is to have a BF% of 20% and around 135 lbs, this is still considered a healthy weight and body fat percentage for my height (actually it’s a little more healthy than my current stats).
My boss introduced me to intermittent fasting which has been amazing! IF is when you fast for a designated amount of time, but more importantly you eat your full caloric needs within a certain time frame as well. Some people do this daily if they are trying to reach a certain goal by a certain date or as a lifestyle, some do this in a 5/2 style where 2 days out of the week you do a fast and 5 days are regular eating days, and others do up to 36 hours straight with a fast. There are many options and each has benefits and drawbacks to consider.
I prefer the 5/2 pattern because it works well with my schedule; however, I am thinking about amping it up. How this fast works is, when you wake up, you skip breakfast and try not to eat until about 1 or 2pm (it should be about 16 hours after your dinner the night before). On a true intermittent fasting day with this pattern the caloric intake is supposed to be 600 calories from your start time to your end time (about 8 hours). This is a huge deficit to your caloric intake. For that reason, you only fast two out of the seven days ans eat refularly the other five days…5/2.
I have been playing with different patterns and researching what people have done with their own routines. I have read the good, the bad, and the ugly on IF and with my results, I have testimony to the good! I have only been doing this for a few weeks so I haven’t seen any dramatic results or anything, but, like I said, I am about to amp it up!
To sum up what I have gotten so far with my IF: I am able to focus more, I do not think about food as much, and I feel good in my skin. I drink BulletProof coffee on my fast days and I think that helps A LOT! {I will post about this in the near future because that is a whole other subject.} Overall, I love my fasting days because I am more productive and I find myself feeling “pretty” all day long! I know that sounds conceded, but it’s true. When you feel good about yourself, you are a whole different person!
While doing some research for IF, I came across one woman who said something VERY eye-opening. Though it didn’t really have to do with IF, it helped her with her IF pattern and progress. She said something like this: “I had to take exercise out of the weight-loss equation and make my weight-loss about nutrition alone” (she was able to lose 20 lbs with IF and very little exercise). She had to consider her diet as her weight-loss habit and take exercise out of the equation completely. After all, losing weight is 80/20; 80% in the kitchen, 20% in the gym.
BINGO! That was what I was missing! I was considering both my fitness AND my nutrition for weight-loss my whole life. People are taught that your calories IN versus your calories OUT determine weight-loss. This is FALSE! I was working out consistently, mixing it up, and trying new strategies; however, my nutrition was still the same (healthy). I have done many fad diets in the past, including being vegan, the 21 Day Fix (BeachBody), etc., but recently I have been doing a “conscious” eating lifestyle that involves listening to my body. But I have cheat days and meals that I know I shouldn’t be eating. I workout extra hard the day after a cheat meal to “make-up” for it, but that is completely the wrong way to go about this!
I have decided that I have to make some sort of change. I love how I feel on my intermittent fasting days, and after a lot of research, I have decided to go all in and do fasting DAILY!
Okay, don’t freak out! I will be eating my FULL caloric needs every day! No 600 cals for me, I want the full 2000! I will be counting macros and eating three or four meals from 1pm to 9pm and then fasting from 9pm until 1pm the next day. If my workouts cause this to change a little that is okay; it’s all about moderation and flexibility.
I will be drinking bulletproof coffee but I am going to change how I am going to drink it. I usually drink 8 cups with the mixture throughout three hours (I am not a big coffee drinker in general). But now I will be doing 1-2 cups with each mixture (future post with describe bulletproof coffee in more detail).
So, daily IF with FULL calories.
I recently posted about Accountability. This will be my new accountability piece: my nutrition. This is my new weight-loss tool as well (only a few pounds to lose). I will still workout consistently but I will not use it as an excuse to have unhealthy, cheat meals (days). I hope to meet my goals in 6 weeks. I leave for Michigan (family vacation) on September 2nd and I want to be at my goal weight/bf%.
Stay tuned for updates and that BulletProof coffee recipe!
Happiness Is a Choice
Laura
W.O.W. 7/17 – 7/23
The Word of the Week is Accountability. Do you know what accountability means? I thought I had; however, I delved a little deeper into the meaning and I learned a lot. I also learned some great topics to consider in your own personal accountability. Please view my W.O.W. YouTube video to learn more! You can also view the Words of the Week on FB @LauraJayLive and/or @TrYumphFunctionalFitness.
Please comment with your thoughts!
Happiness Is a Choice
Laura
Day 4: Robert Dos Remedios
Robert Dos Remedios – sports coach extraordinaire! His topic for the weekend was “Programming for Performance, Fitness, and Function.” As a new trainer, I knew that a good programming course would be good for me, if not the ideal course for me.
After introducing himself to the room, his first words were: “Stop doing 10 minute Pinterest workouts.” I found this very funny because before becoming a trainer I did use Pinterest workouts a lot of the time for myself. Dos Remedios went on to say that these workouts “defeat” clients and make them feel as though they are failing. The timing is off and the requirements of the workouts do not fit what a body can actually handle. Usually these workouts have not been tested by an average person. He also sided against using workout dice, cards, and white board workouts.
What Robert suggested was Asking clients what their goal is and deciding on a session style based on their goals. Session styles can vary by style (full-body, push/pull, density, circuit, etc.) or by goals (hypertrophy, performance, etc.). He suggests using Movement Menus:
- The essentials:
- Push – with or without equipment
- Pull – with or without equipment
- Core / Abs – anti-rotational exercises
- Explosive – triple joint movements
- Squat / Step / Lunge – alternate between these three, do not use all three in one workout
- Hinge / Flex – functional, everyday movements
With these essential movements you want to rotate through the different exercises by picking one of each category such as a menu (appetizer, main course, drink, dessert, etc.).
Some considerations:
- Use familiar workouts that are in your own coaching comfortability
- Think about the equipment you will need to use
- What planes of motion are you using? Is that comfortable with your clients abilities?
- Bi/Uni-lateral?
- Are you carrying or pulling anything? (Sled)
- etc.
*Again, ROTATE through the things that WORK!
Here are some Warm-Ups & Activation Ideas:
- Foam Rolling
- Get-Up (Turkish)
- Kettlebell Complex
- Mini-Bands Series
Now that you have done your Warm-Up, let’s create your workout:
Must do’s: Use super-sets, use tri-sets, address all movement patterns, be brief with intensity.
Explosive movements: Some people shy away from using explosive movements with clients; however, something to consider is that these movements are the first things that decreases with age and we should therefore, try to maximize explosive movements while we can with clients. These movements can also help with strength, balance, and help to metabolically challenge clients.
Movements to use:
- Knee-dominant movements
- Hip-dominant movements
- Pushing movements
- Pulling movements
- Core movements
- Mobility movements
- Prehab movements
- Other movements – exercises that are not plugged into workouts but you utilize afterwards, such as a heavy carry, lateral sled work, or a metabolic circuit.
After Robert described what to do while planning individual workouts, he moved on to larger scale planning: monthly and even yearly planning. He said that he used Periodization for a very long time until he found, through research, that Alternating Linear Cycling is actually shown to reach clients goals quicker and more safely.
With alternating linear cycling, you alternate between hypertrophy and strength/power workouts every two to three weeks throughout the year. However, this is more gearing towards sports clients. For the general population, Robert suggested a Density Training Concept:
- Hypertrophy: set of 8, 10-12 Rep Max (RM)
- Strength: set of 5, 6-8 RM
- Format: x amount of rounds OR x amounts of total minutes
This concept is easy to quantify- based on time, so if you use the same weight and get a better time OR heavier weight and at least Match your time, you have improved.
Lastly, Dos Remedios talked about post-workout components:
- Finishers
- Sports Speed
- Energy Training / Conditioning
- Strongman
- Sled
- Reactives
- Team Building
- Etc.
Use these after the main workout to give a great post-workout exercise routine.
Overall, I learned so much within this section that I am still absorbing it, a whole month later! There is so much to learn in programming and I know there are a lot of different concepts and ways of thinking when it comes to programming. I have tried some of Dos Remedios’s routines on my own clients with good outcomes. I try and keep everything new and fresh to my clients and it has been going smoothly. With so many alternate options, it gets difficult picking just one. However, the concepts discussed above were in my “top” options for programming.
Keep in mind that when I listened in on this presentation, I was already on Day 4 of the Perform Better Summit. My mind was mush and it was hard to concentrate. Going back and looking at my notes has been VERY helpful. I know I will pick up on new things every time I go back through my notes which I am very excited about- a year from now I can go through my notebook and learn more!
Day 4: Brian Nguyen
Brian Nguyen’s session was the most surprising out of ALL of the presentations. This course was based on the “soft stuff.”
Greatness Requires the Soft Stuff Too.
I AM ENOUGH.
This was the focus of Nguyen’s session. I AM Enough. Success is doing the best with what you’ve got, and a lot of people within our industry think that they are not given enough to create something great. But you are enough!
“Knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” – Lao-Tzu
For example, here are some Soft Skills:
- team spirit
- self-confidence
- communication
- inquisitiveness
- creativity
- trustworthiness
- assertiveness
- vulnerability
Vulnerability is actually when courage and fear meet. Can you be vulnerable with your clients? Lose the fear and have courage that your clients will accept your vulnerability and they will actually appreciate it because they will see that you too are human!
All growth involves choosing love over fear.
To help yourself with these soft skills, begin to write yourself letters, or start to journal, or meditate! And above all, dream BIG! Don’t let your doubt cloud what your future can be.
Within this session we also did some activities that brought our our soft skills and vulnerability. For example, we were told to write down three qualities that we believe are our strongest. You could tell, most people were trying to hide them from others, feeling embarrassed to share something that deep with others. Well, Nguyen had us hold it up against our forehead and walk around for everyone else to see. And the surprising thing was, no one had the same words written! Everyone was different and saw themselves differently than what was anticipated.
Another activity was where we had to write down three things that we believe we cannot do. Nguyen said some examples could be: “I can’t learn enough to be recognized.” “I won’t be successful.” “I cannot succeed because I am a failure.” etc.
We wrote them out and I noticed how everyone felt VERY uncomfortable, thinking that we would have to walk around with these vulnerable thoughts on our foreheads. Well, no, we did not do that. Instead, we were told to scratch out the line and write the opposite: “I can learn enough and I will be recognized.” “I will be successful.” “I will succeed and I will never fail.” etc.
This exercise gave everyone the realization that they ARE ENOUGH! I AM ENOUGH!
By the end of the session, people were in tears about what they had come to realize within themselves. It was incredible to see everyone so vulnerable, yet comfortable being that way while in the group. And that was because Nguyen shared a vulnerable story with us about when one of his clients passed away while playing a sport. I won’t go into details; however, I can say that it struck a cord in all of us.
Soft skills are important when working with clients. You are their ROCK in some cases. You have to be prepared to be vulnerable with them when they need it.
Great session. That’s all. I am still left speechless from what I gained in that hour.
05Day 4: Frank Nash
SOCIAL MEDIA! It is a very scary thing…but Frank Nash decided to give us a little insight into how we can make the most out of social media.
Platforms: there are over 200 options to choose from, so which do you choose? Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are the kings of social media. Facebook is KING! Do you know what else is King? — CONTENT! You need to know What, How, When, etc. How do you stay and become unique with your content? PROVIDE VALUE!
Proof holds a major sway as well. If you have proof that your product is working, people will notice. Ask for reviews so people can see what your business is like.
Facebook is King, but in what way should you post on FB? VIDEOS! Videos hold 50% more organic reach than any other post…meaning that you don’t have to pay for extra pushes when you use videos! Upload your videos directly to FB rather than linking them from Instagram or YouTube though, if you link them then they won’t get as much of an organic reach. Also, never go over 90 seconds in each video! Most people only watch the first 10 or 20 seconds anyway, unless you’re interesting and providing great content! But even then, some people don’t stick with the videos. One way to hold people’s attention is to use SUBTITLES! 80% of all videos are watched without sound- having subtitles will ensure that your audience is getting the message.
Facebook LIVE is also a great up and coming way to post! LIVE videos get massive views because they are raw and real!
Through social media you should also be doing charity events: bootcamps, nutrition camps, etc. Make them in “group” form so people have to be added in, it will feel more exclusive!
Within your business, you should also have a member group. Make sure to do the following in your company’s private group page:
- post daily motivational posts
- post recipes
- upload home workouts
- give business announcements
- provide “up-sell” options
- ask for shares
- ask for referrals
- build community!
Within these groups, make sure to delete people who are not active in your business. This is an exclusive group for your members- make sure to keep it that way! AND above all- STAY CONSISTENT!
Whoa, that was a lot of information and I know I missed some when in the presentation. But if you are doing all of these things as a business leader, you will see growth. If you have a personal page and do these things, you will gain followers and value!
Keep consistent!
Day 3: Todd Durkin
The WOW Experience. Todd Durkin is the king of WOW! After the hands-on session with Durkin, I looked at my boss and actually said, “WOW!” It wasn’t intentional but that was the actual feeling that I left with. Durkin put in emotion and drive into every second of that workout and I could feel his passion.
After the workout session I knew that I would have to go to his lecture version, I had to find out the secrets to how he can create that “WOW” feeling in everyone.
Durkin started his lecture explaining that there are 4 C’s To Success:
- Commitment – You can only take your business as for as you take yourself.
- Condition – Your “self.” You have to work on yourself first.
- Create – What is it that you’re creating?
- Connect – NETWORK
Durkin also mentioned the 5 P’s of Business Success:
- Plan
- Positioning
- Packaging
- Promotion
- Progress / Profit
Within these 5 P’s, Durkin expressed that “selling is a gift.” If you’ve got it, use it!
So, what do you need to do to create more WOW and IMPACT? W.T.F.?? = What The… Focus!? That’s what you need, focus and everything has to be T.I.M.E.D.:
T – Time: Make time with the 19 Tactics below.
I – Innovation & Technology: If you are scared of the camera, GO ON CAMERA!
M – Magical Moments: Make a Credo Card and follow it. Give it to clients and express the value of your credo. Create super-fans!
E – Energy: By taking care of yourself, you create energy! Take care of YOU!
D – Dream: Do not only dream, but dream BIG!
Durkin laid out 19 Tactics to Maximize Time & Productivity:
- 45 minutes of quiet time / “me” time every morning – do it!
- Breakfast – never start a day without a well balanced breakfast
- Don’t check your emails early in the AM OR late in the PM
- Turn electronics off in “Peak” / busy times
- Touch paper just once per day, minimum!
- WLAGS: Wins, Losses, Aha, Goals. Every day write out your wins, losses, your aha moments, and your goals for the week.
- Eat That Frog– read this book! (I actually did read it a couple months before this conference so I felt pretty good that it was included in Durkin’s presentation).
- Avoid gossip. Yup.
- Work in 90 minute blocks.
- Turn off technology at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Chunk email checks two times a day.
- Don’t always answer the phone.
- Text at specific times during the day.
- Tech FREE zones – make sure to create them and stick to it.
- Schedule social media time.
- Delete the Trivial from your life.
- Be on an “opposite” schedule.
- Mellow-yellow and blue sky times.
- Detailed plan set for every day.
Using these time savers, along with the Action Steps, you will conquer your business! Go out and do it!
This was such an inspirational presentation. After the hands-on and lecture versions, I understood what Durkin’s days must be filled with. AND after the conference, I followed him on Instagram- he literally posts his LIFE on there! It’s crazy and makes me say WOW daily.
Another amazing thing that came from this presentation was that I was able to get a hold of one of Durkin’s WOW books that he wrote! My boss decided to gift them to my co-worker and I (THANK YOU), I haven’t been able to dive too much into it yet, but I am excited to! The book holds even more detail into what he was talking about in this presentation. But that’s a post for the future I guess. 🙂
Day 3: Chuck Wolf
Chuck Wolf’s presentation revolved around Functional Training & Corrective Movement. This was a hands-on presentation and I did not have time to take too many notes. Moving through the hands-on aspect was very fast-paced and hard to follow while keeping notes. I ended up diving in without the notepad about half way through. The major take aways that I did have were the following:
The Swaying Lunge:
- Step forward with your right leg, keeping both heels down, so you are positioned in a stationary lunge.
- Reach forward with your right hand to extend your right knee forward, in the sagittal plane.
- Next, reach towards your right with your right knee, causing an outward rotation in the ankle/knee/leg.
- Then reach towards your left with your right knee, causing an opposite rotation.
- Repeat on the other side.
This exercise mobilizes your joints so your range of motion can be extended while working out.
Another beneficial corrective movement exercise is this partner stretch routine:
Line up with your partner so that you are side-by-side, about one foot from each other. Extend your left arm towards them as they reach towards you with their right. Hold each other’s elbows so that your forearms are hugging. Reach your opposing outside arms out away from each other and swing them overhead. Reach for each others hand above your heads. Hold each others wrists. By slightly pulling against each other, pull your forearms and your upper arm away while bending sideways with your hips. Your hips are going the opposite direction as your partner, stretching away from each other. GREAT stretch! If you don’t have a partner, try and replicate with a free standing bar or equipment.
We did more within this course but these were the best two that I recall working the best for corrective movement. Great stretching to help support a good workout!
Day 3: Martin Rooney
Day 3 of the Perform Better Summit in Orlando, Florida started out with a bang! Of the speakers offered, I decided to go to Martin Rooney. I had listen to him on Thursday and I knew that it would be a very educational course to sit in on. But first, the hands-on presentation!
In our hands-on time with Rooney, we were put through a very inspirational workout! The topic of his presentation was 7 Secrets of Motivation, and boy were we motivated! All throughout the hands-on workout people were smiling, learning, and truly engaging in the workout and with their fellow participants. I can honestly say, I don’t remember much of the actual workout, but I DO remember the feeling of motivation and drive throughout the room and within myself.
The lecture part of Rooney’s presentation was also on the 7 Secrets of Motivation, to expand on what we did within the hands-on portion. Here is a basic overview of what Rooney spoke about:
It’s about the SHOW. Trainers out there: you are a showman! You have to put on the show for your clients. It’s like we are in a three-ring circus: Spirit, Body, & Mind. When finding Whole Wellness, you will see that all three of these rings are needed. Being a showman and utilizing these three aspects will ensure that your clients are getting the best bang for their buck.
The next bullet-point in my notes were these three questions:
- Is sleep important? How many hours of sleep do you need?
- Is nutrition important? What should you eat?
- Is exercise important? How much exercise should you do per week?
Most people would give the same exact “basic” answers:
- Yes. We should sleep 8 hours.
- Yes. We should eat healthy foods.
- Yes. 30-60 minutes per day.
So, you all know what you are supposed to do on a daily/weekly basis to be healthy? These are obvious to most people, correct?
Rooney expanded this and said, well, why don’t people do these things? It is OUR job, as trainers and coaches, to make sure these things are happening for our clients. Of course we can’t control every minutes of our clients lives, but we can try and hold them accountable to make sure they keep up their will power and succeed.
There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. We all know about what we need to do. But we have knowledge once we put all of that into action.
AND NOW….
The 7 Secrets of Motivation
- It’s a SHOW
- Go ALL OUT to Answer “The Question”
- You are the Star so Find Your “THING”
- PLAY the CROWD
- PREPARE
- ENERGY TRANSFER
- DEVELOP YOURSELF
Yes, the capitalization is important haha! These are the seven concepts Rooney spoke on. Some are self-explanatory, some have more depth than you’d think. Here we go…
- It’s a SHOW: If you want to be great, it’s not about what you know, it’s about the show. Create moments that people want to re-live again and again.
- Go ALL OUT to Answer “The Question”: How was it?- When clients get asked this, it better start them talking! Make people feel like $1,000,000! Bring back the fun! Make it great and they will tell people…
- You are the Star so Find Your “THING”: The hardest thing to grow up and be is YOURSELF! Do it! & Put yourself Out There! Get out of your comfort zone. What is your niche? Who are you? Where are you going?
- PLAY the CROWD: Social media; content for your crowd. Impress vs. Progress? Engage your clients and expect nothing. Expect Nothing & Appreciate Everything! What gets appreciated gets repeated. F.I.R.E.: Feedback, Individual Cue, Rah Rah, Energetic Point
- PREPARE: Pay attention to DETAIL! Be early. Put your phone away. Be clean and ready in professional attire. Prepare six months out for every client.
- ENERGY TRANSFER: Be the ENERGY setter and builder. Be 200% more on fire than your clients. Clients have to find the fire for themselves, their being, their journey.
- DEVELOP YOURSELF: Create YOU! Develop your education. Be a Trainer / Coach / Writer / Socialite / Awesome! Change your Act if it’s not working.
Overall take away: People remember how you make them FEEL! Make them FEEL good about THEMSELVES!
Day 2: Featured Speaker, Todd Hayes
Day 2 ended with the featured speaker: Todd Hayes. I did not know who Todd Hayes was when I was going into this speaker but I soon realized that he is an amazing person with an incredible story!
Retelling his story won’t do too much justice as I know I will leave out many details. Even when in the session, I didn’t take notes because I was so enveloped into the speaker’s story. I will say, his speech moved me and I will never forget the feeling he created within that room.
Hayes was an Olympian, he is a cancer survivor, and he has survived the loss of some important people in his life. When I think back to that day, I think of him and everything that he has overcome.
Shout out to Todd Hayes! If you ever get a chance to listen to his story, please do it!
Laura Jay Live 